Dear Chicadee

You're right, any dog will turn in a heartbeat if they're sick because they feel a threat in some moment, and then they can switch back to being okay! I think what you are doing is great! So many people misunderstand large dogs.

I have never owned a pit bull but my family has owned rottweilers for the last sixteen years. With pit bulls and rottweilers they have to be trained and never let off leash without supervision if outside...it is this breeds nature, as well as other breeds nature to protect there terrain...wherever they are, whether on a walk or in the owner's house or in the yard.

Unfortunately, different breeds get a bad name because of the owner not training the dog...letting the dog run loose...not creating a secure enough yard for the dog or the dog comes from back yard breeders that don't have a clue on how to breed pit bulls ie...you have to study the lines of that particular breed as with any breed to discover the tempermant of the female's line and the male's line and their history because this will show up in the puppies.

I'm speaking about perfectly healthy dogs here to give a little understanding on how to treat pit bulls, rotti's, shepards etc. I have a german shephard myself. She's the most obedient, well trained and well liked dog. She came to me in the early nineties and she's fifteen now. She has the sweetest tempermant and loves people, even the mailman, the electrician...people she doesn't know.

In Ontario, up here in Canada, they're banning the Pit Bull because of dog attacks...the interesting thing about the attacks is they were done by dogs that had pit bull in them, they were not pure bred pit bulls, they were mongrels.

In many cases when an owner is going to buy a pure bred dog...because of the amount of money invested in them which can run into the thousands for the best line of that breed...you don't just willy nilly let them loose to create mayhem...you train them...socialize them and let them know where they stand with the family. In many cases these dogs are raised to be show dogs because of their pedigree.

Dogs are hierarchy inclined....they have to know where they stand in the pack...WITHIN A FAMILY UNIT...they are at the bottom of the pack and the master is the head of the pack.

They have to know that their survival depends on the head of the pack and thus they will be submissive to authority...they also have to be taught that the youngest child within a family is also above them in station...as this will keep the dog in its place with regard to aggression.

If different breeds are taught there place from the point of puppyhood and are treated well...their agressive tendencies can be handled with a minimum of fuss.

But there are a lot of irresponsible owners out there who aren't willing to put in the time to train their dogs and teach them the rudiments of good behaviour.

Just a few pieces of information here Chicadee. I think your studying up on dog attacks relative to the dog's brain and health is a really smart move...I don't think anyone's thought of that...I never see information like that in the papers.

With love
Leigha